CDC: Turkey burger salmonella drug-resistant

WILLMAR, Minn. - The salmonella strain that prompted a recall of nearly 55,000 pounds of frozen raw turkey burgers last week is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC said that as of April 1, 12 people ranging in age from 1 to 86 have been reported infected with the Salmonella Hadar strain.

The illnesses were reported in 10 states over the past four months, with 3 cases in Wisconsin, and 1 case each in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, and Washington. Three people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

The CDC said Monday that not all patients have been linked to the recalled meat, but at least three (in Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin) reported eating Jennie-O turkey burgers before falling ill. Samples of the meat collected by public health agencies from two patients' homes tested positive for the outbreak strain.

States have reported antibiotic resistance of the outbreak strain to several clinically useful drugs including ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cephalothin, and tetracycline.